3M & Saint Paul
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing, as 3M was originally named, moved from Two Harbors, MN, to the Dayton's Bluff neighborhood in St. Paul in 1910 and was headquartered there until 1962. The company started with sandpaper and abrasives, and eventually became a major international corporation making a wide variety of products. 3M closed all operations at it's Dayton's Bluff location in 2009. The on-site interpretive program and and this online resource were developed with funding from the Saint Paul Port Authority to help tell that story, and as partial mitigation for the demolition of historic buildings on the campus.
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Stories 29
3M & Saint Paul: A History of the 3M Saint Paul Office and Plant
1910-1962 3M was located on Saint Paul’s East Side for almost 100 years and the company was headquartered here until 1962. Visit the site of 3M’s historic campus at 900 Bush Avenue and you will…
The 3M Story: The Evolution of 3M in Saint Paul
From One Product to Thousands 3M had its beginnings in 1902 at one small location in northern Minnesota. 3M's Saint Paul headquarters grew to become the heart of a major corporation between 1910 and…
Creation and Development: 900 Bush Avenue: The House That Research Built
Early Years in Saint Paul When the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company relocated from Duluth to Saint Paul in 1910, all of the company offices and manufacturing operations were housed in one…
Marketing 3M & Its Products: Creating the Image, Telling the World
3M promoted its products to a wide variety of markets and used many methods.
People & Times: 3M & Saint Paul’s East Side
Industry and Business 3M’s location by the railroad tracks was bounded on the west and south by the commercial streets of Arcade and East Seventh. It was centered within a thriving urban community…
3M Vision & Growth
In the Beginning an Idea The growth of 3M from its modest beginnings in 1902 to an international corporation was due to vision and persistence. The four company founders had a vision of mining…
Adhesives Products & Manufacturing
3M INNOVATIONS IN ADHESIVES PRODUCTS Adhesives: The Tape Story Pressure-sensitive tapes are coated adhesives applied to a flexible backing. The company utilized its expertise in coatings and backings…
Abrasives Products & Manufacturing
3M INNOVATIONS IN ABRASIVES PRODUCTS Abrasives: The Sandpaper Story 3M began manufacturing a single product, abrasive sandpaper, in 1905 at a plant in Duluth. Sandpaper was still the only product when…
Machines, Tools, & Engineering: ENGINEERING: GROWING FACILITIES & EXPANDING MANUFACTURING
Machines and Tools: An Important Part of the Production Process In 1928, 3M established its first machine shop in the basement of Building 2. The three machinists and eleven millwrights repaired…
Innovations from Saint Paul Campus
“Thermo-Fax” “It all started with writer’s cramp.” When Dr. Carl S. Miller was doing research and taking hand-written notes for his doctorate in physical chemistry at the University of Minnesota,…
3M & World War II: The People
The People of 3M In July 1941, 3M had 3,133 employees spread among 4 plants and 13 branches and warehouses. There were 1,639 employees in the Saint Paul factory, 372 in the Saint Paul office, and 143…
3M & World War II: The Products
3M Tapes Many 3M products were put to new uses and others were developed as part of the war effort. Over 100 different types of “Scotch” tapes were developed and manufactured to assist war production.…
3M & the Community
3M Engages the Community “By contributing to, and participating in civic projects, 3M and 3M employees have helped to strengthen the bond of community relationship. The unique characteristic of 3M's…
Working Women at 3M
Women at Work Women have worked at 3M since its early years and have played ever more varied and diversified roles. In 1916, the year the company made its first profits and began to pay dividends on…
Getting a Job at 3M
“I Want to Work at 3M” Many early 3M employees, including William L. McKnight and Archibald G. Bush, had “business” training or high school training in “mechanic arts.” When William Viervering was…
3M & Labor
Working for Job Betterment The majority of employees in the Saint Paul Plant worked in the factories and received hourly pay. The company sought to offer competitive wages and working conditions…
Cornerstones & Time Capsules
Setting the Cornerstone, Building 21 President William L. McKnight, accompanied by chief engineer E. M. Johnson, supervised the installation of the cornerstone in October 1939. The mason worked for…
"The Mining"
3M stands for Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company. Except for limited efforts to extract low-grade corundum from Crystal Bay, Minnesota, for abrasives in 1904, the company has done no mining. …
3M, a Family Affair
Meet a 3Mer and you will often find that he or she has family members who also work at 3M, part of a long 3M tradition. Otto Meissner was a prime example. Living at 668 Greenbrier, he did not have far…
The Origins of "Scotch"
“Scotch” as a brand name for 3M tapes is believed to have its origins in a disgruntled auto-body painter who was using the new 3M masking tape. It was not sticking properly because it was not…
“Scotch” Tape to the Rescue of General Gray
On May 5, 1943, Brig. Gen. Carl R. Gray, Jr., head of U.S. Army railroad operations in North Africa, sent a request to President William L. McKnight: "[Please send] your Scotch Cellulose Tape, 3/4 x…
Explosion: 3M Response to Disaster
It was -12 degrees F. at 8:20 A.M. on February 8, 1951, when an explosion rocked the six-story Minerals Building (Building 12). It destroyed two floors, plunging them into darkness, damaged the…
What Did They Do?
3M constantly improved its machinery and technology to develop, produce, and sell its products. Nonetheless, it was dependent on its people to get the job done. Some of these jobs no longer exist or…
The 3M Flagpole
The 66-foot tall steel flagpole was installed at the corner of Bush and Mendota by the administration building (Building 21) in September 1941. On October 4, 1941, the 3M Club sponsored a flag-raising…
Growing a Stock
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing initially raised capital by selling stock at $1 per share in 1903. In the early years, it was essentially worthless as the company struggled. 3M paid its first…
How Do We Treat Rainwater Runoff as a Resource?
Stormwater facilities at the Saint Paul Port Authority’s Beacon Bluff Business Center treat rainwater as a resource that is used to recharge groundwater, irrigate landscaping, as well as enhance and…
Managing Stormwater for the Next Generation
Stormwater Treatment Managing stormwater runoff is important to urban planning and environmental conservation. The site of Beacon Bluff drains an area of approximately 163 acres of stormwater that…
Gita Ghei: Bubblicious, 2014
Bubblicious 2014 Material: steel, aluminum, solar lighting This sundial-inspired artwork evokes the visual imagery of creatures whose bodies are comprised of 90% or more water - jellies, rays, and…
Philip Blackburn - Public Art Installation: The Scope | Bench
The Scope 2015 Material: Corten steel, mirrored stainless steel, 3M dichroic glass, copper-coated rods, 3M-salvaged brick, taconite, quartzite, rubber porous paving, granite Bench 2015 Material:…Tour curated by: Saint Paul Port Authority | Marjorie Pearson, Summit Envirosolutions, Inc. | the East Side Arts Council